Have you ever been standing there at a show listening to the band play and are fully digging the music, but your mind keeps wandering? You keep thinking about that dude standing center stage. The way he holds that guitar, how his hair falls gently over his brow and oh that voice, damn, you can nearly feel it in your bones. Yeah, you’re having what we call a band-boy crush moment. It happens to the best of us and really you can’t resist it, it’s science.
When a guy is given a guitar (or any instrument), put on a stage with a light shining on him and begins to sing it is the perfect moment for the crush trance to hit. Most studies show that even before he makes it to the chorus you’re going to be caught in the tangled web of wanting to plaster your bedroom walls with his posters. Why deny it, embrace it! So that’s what we did, here’s a list for the ladies (and any of you boys that get caught in the band crush net) of our favorite eye-candy indie guys that we can’t help but crush on.
In alphabetical order, because it’s just to hard to number them, below are the 20 Hottest Men in Indie Music (and then some).
Words: Anne-Marie Schiefer and Sandra Burciaga
Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys)
Some of us have been crushing on this man since before he was a mainstream rockstar. Even before his first Danger Mouse produced record, Attack & Release (2008) — when Auerbach was just another Ohio boy with no fashion sense — he still radiated sexy. It was those intoxicating blues vocals and lyrics a la “I’ll Be Your Man” and “Girl Is On My Mind”, and those masterful guitar skills that made the ladies sweat.
Jarle Bernhoft (Bernhoft)
He just may be the best thing you’ve never heard of, Bernhoft is a Norwegian with that nerdy appeal that girls like Zoe Deschanel fawn over. With black rim glasses and a slightly asymmetrical face, Bernhoft is not your typical pretty boy. And that’s okay, it all disappears on stage when he becomes nerd-sexy. (yup, we just coined that term, you’re welcome).
Ryan Bingham
All Ryan needs to do is stand on stage with his guitar and the ladies would surely faint from the utter perfection of his silhouette. Honestly, the sexy that seeps from this man’s pores is enough to send the coldest of hearts into cardiac arrest. A style that is part good ‘ol southern boy and part Silverlake hipster, Bingham is a gift to the music world.
Benjamin Booker
This cat is straight up cool. An old soul from an era that was all jive, cigarettes, and smoke filled bars. His raspy voice is guttural and his guitar playing is raw yet refined. He makes us want to let loose, jump on stage and dance.
Jake Bugg
This young Brit may be barely legal, but he already knows how to get the tweens (and their Moms) screaming their adoration. With his Dylan-esq voice and songwriting young Jake will be working the generational appeal for years to come.
Nick Cave
He may be 57 years old, but Nick Cave is hands down one of the sexiest men in music. Always suited up and looking dapper, no other man exudes so much passion and virility on stage. And he is an absolute badass. Nuff said.
Gary Clark Jr.
It starts with making love to that guitar and finishes with him singing soulful heart wrenching songs. Gary Clark Jr. has had us completely under his spell from the first note that rang out and will have us begging for more to the very last.
Matt Costa
When the Beach Boys sang, “I wish they all could be California girls” they forgot about all the California boys! There’s nothing quite like a boy weaned on sunshine, skatebaording and salt water. With a laidback attitude and lyrics about dreamy love, Matt Costa, is the surfer/skater boy we love to love.
Britt Daniel (Spoon, Divine Fits)
Even the ladies who aren’t fans of gingers make an exception for this redheaded indie babe. He is the all-time voice of indie and when Daniel is on stage crooning the lyrics to those delicious Spoon diddys, the world stops moving.
Donald Glover (Childish Gambino)
Rapper, singer, producer, actor, writer, and comedian … is there anything this renaissance man can’t do? With a hip style and an infectious stage energy, Glover is one cutie we just can’t get enough of.
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